Nut-shell remover



A Sept. 17, 1929. R, E WQODSQN 1,728,194

NUT SHELL REMOVER Filed Nov. 30. 1927 Fig 1 Il. I im Patented sept. 17,1929 j p y, `1,728,194 y UNITED STATES PATENT `OFFICE f ROBERT n. woonsoN, or wEBs'rnn enovnsrmrssoimr NUT-SHELLAREMOVER y i l Application. ined November 3o, 1927. sei-inne. 236,619.

This invention relates to machines for from the feed chute. The upper ends of the y separating shell fragments and particles rollers 10 arerotatively ysupported by the from the kernels of cracked nuts, and mainplate 6 while the upper ends of the rollers taining such separation when the nuts are 11 and'12 extend to and 'are rotatively ysup-y 5 discharged from the machine. ported. by .the plate 5 kof the feed chute. 55

Other objects will `appear from the fol; Thus, the feed chute is in direct communilowing description, reference being made to cationwith the chute 13. The lower ends the accompanying drawing, in which of all of the rollers 10, 11 and`12 are ro- Fig. 1 is a side elevation, with parts in tatively supported bythe plate 9, theoppo- 1o section, of my improved machine. sitek ends` of the respective ,rollers having ce Figs. 2, 3 and t are vertical sectional views reduced axial extensions 141 journaled in n the lines 2 2, 3-3 and 4.--4, respecanti-friction bearings 15 in the said plates tively, of Figpl. 5, 6 and k9. The ends of the krollers from Fig. 5 is an end elevation `ofthe machine which the extensions 14 project abut against 'with the end wall of the gear housing rethe respective bearingsupport plates 5, 6 65 moved. and 9, and thus the rollersare held from Fig. 6 is an end elevation ofthe machin longitudinal movement and are freely rotashowing the driving connections. ,n tive. y. n n

My improved machine comprises a frame y Each of the rollerslO, 11 and 12 is formed a0 including a series of rigid supporting legs with a series of longitudinal parallel grooves'zo 1 having a top plate 2 attached to the g upor channels 16 extending the full length of per ends thereof, and provided with integral the yrollers 10 and 11 and yterminating at reflanges 3 along its sides and ends. The upduced portions 17 aty the discharge ends of per ends of the legs 3 project into the corthe rollers 12. ners formed at the` intersection of the side The extension 141 at the lower end of each 75 and end flanges 3 and 'are rigidly secured roller projects through ythe plate 9 intoy a to said flanges. Preferably the legs 1 at the gearhousing 18, and agear Wheel 19 is atrespective ends of the machine are of diifertached to each of said extensions 14 in said ent heights so that the topfplate 2 is supgear housing. The gearwheels 19 are out ported in an inclined POSOIl, IlClIlIlg of engagement with each other,-but all of so downwardly from the feeding-in end to the said gear wheels mesh witha central drivdischarge end of the machine. ing gear 2() rigid on a'shaft 21 extending At the feeding-in end ofthe machine a through the removable end wall 22 of the hopper 4 opens into a chute formed by walls gear housing 18. A` pulley 23 is attachedfto 5, 6, 7 and 8 having rigid COIlnection with the outer end'of the shaft 21 and has opera- S5 the top 2 of the machine and with each tiveconnection 24; with a pulley`25 driven other. A plate 9 is rigidly supported near by a motor 26, sh'ownasy supported upon the the opposite end of the `machine and is top plate 2 of the machine. parallel with the plates 5 yand 6 of the feedf The space between the reduced portions 4o ing-in chute. 'These plates 5, 6 and 9 sup- 17 of the rollers 12 is ofsuflicient area to ,9,0 port the devices whereby separation of the `permit the edible portionsL of the nuts to shell fragments from the edible portions'of pass between the rollers,` without `being the nuts is obtained. These devices combroken, to a discharge chute 27. The spaces prise an upper pair of parallel rollers 10, between the grooved portions of the rollers a pair of side rollers 11, and a pair of lower forming ther ychute 13 are not of sutlicient rollers 12. These rollers are arranged in an area to permit ythe edible portions of` the annular series and incline downwardly from cracked nuts nor the larger portions of the the feeding-inend to the discharge end of detached shells to passbetweenthe rollers. the machine, forming the inclined chute` 13 The `grooves 16, however, form receptacles v0 into which the cracked nuts are delivered which receive small shell y fragments and *100 particles which are thereby removed from the edible portions of the cracked nuts and discharged into a discharge chute 28.

From the foregoing it will be seen that when the motor 26 is in operation the gear 20 is rotated constantly in one direction and all of the rollerslO, 11 and 12 are rotated constantly in one direction. The cracked nuts entering the roller chute 13 are rapidly agitated and passed toward the discharge chute 27. As a resultv of the rapid rotation of the rollers 10, 11 and 12 small nutshell fragments are removed, being receivedin` and'discharged from the grooves 16, whilel the larger shell pieces andthe edible portions of the nuts'pass to the discharge space between the reduced portions 17 of the rollers 12 and into the discharge chute 27. The rollers 10, 11 and 12, are rotated rapidly, desirable results .being obtained in some instances by about R. P. M. However, the speed of rotation of the rollers may be varied' to obtain the best results determined by observation and for the type of nuts being treated. The rollers 10 are necessary to prevent the nuts from being carried` or thrown over the rollers 11 because of the high speed at which'it is necessary to rotate these rollers in order to detach the broken shells from the edible portions of the nuts. Moreover, by use ofthe annular rseriesor' Arollers including the fupper rollers 10 the nuts may be fed through the chute 13 in larger quantities thanY would otherwise be possible. Thus, the rollers 10 function to permit larger quantities of nuts to be passed through` the machine andalso positively to prevent the nuts from being thrown or carried over the rollers 11 and also to operate upon'the nuts at the top to detach the shell piecesfrom thewedible portions. The cracked nuts may be delivered into the hopper 4 from any nut cracking machine in use without the necessity of handling the nuts after they pass fromv the cracking machine.

I kdo not restrict myself in unessential particulars, butwhat'I claim is l. A machinev of they character described comprising an annular series of rollers forniing an inclined chute, means for guiding cracked nuts into said chute, and means for rotating all of said rollers in one direction.

2. A machine of the character described comprising an annular series of inclined rollers forming anv inclined chute, and each of said rollers having a series of longitudinal 0rooves in its eri aher means for O'uidb 7 h ing cracked nuts into said inclined chute, and mechanism :tor rapidlyy rotating all of said rollers in one direction.

grooves in its periphery, means for guiding cracked nuts into said inclined chute, mechanism for rapidly rotating all of said rollers in one direction, and chutes for receiving nut shell fragments and the edible portions of the nuts respectively from said inclined chute.

Ll. A machine of the character described comprising a series of inclined rollers forming an inclined chute and each having a series of longitudinal grooves in its periphery, reduced portions beyond the ends of the grooves on the lower rollers forming a space of suiiicient area for the discharge oi' the edible portions of the nuts between said reduced portions, means for delivering cracked nuts into said inclined chute, and mechanism for rotating all or' said rollers in one direction. f

5. A machine of the character described comprisinga series of inclined rollers torming an inclined chute andV each `having' a series of longitudinal grooves in yits periphery, reduced portions beyond the ends or the grooves on the lower rollers forming a space of suiiticient area for the discharge of the edible portions of the nuts Vbetween said reduced portions, means for delivering cracked nuts into said inclined chute, mechanism for Vrotating all of said rollers in one direction,

a discharge chutefor receiving Ythe edible portions of the cracked nutsdischarged from between the reduced portions of said rollers, and a kdischarge chute for the shell fragments.

' 6. A machine vof the character described comprising an annular series of rollers forining a chute, a chute extending downwardly across the ends of a number ofk said rollersy and openinginto said rst named chute,and means forrotation ofall of said rollers in one direction. c

7 A machine of the character described comprising a pair of spaced plates, a series of rollers rotatively supported by said plates, an additional plate between said first named plates, a number of rollersy rotatively supported by said additional plate andone of said first named plates,.allof saidrollers forming an annular series otrollers enclosing a chute, andmeans'for delivering cracked nuts into said chute.

8. Ay machine of the character described comprising an annular seriesof rollers forming. a chute, a number of said rollers being of shorter length than the other rollers and each of said rollers having a series of longitudinal grooves in its' periphery, means for guiding cracked knuts into said` chute, and

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rollers and each of said rollers having a p series of longitudinal grooves in its periphery, means for guiding cracked nuts beyond the ends of the upper rollers and onto the lower rollers into said chute, and means for rotating all of said rollers in one direction.

ROBERT E. VOODSON. 

